not "normal" habits with BIG bucks??

[loworange88]

Is it just me or do the BIG boys sort of go against the norm, in terms of when they move and do things vs. the rest of the deer?

This morning a friend and I were hunting up on a large hill in Cazenovia(Madison cty), and it was pretty windy up there, and for about 3 hours or so we didnt see a darn thing, so my buddy text me, and said he was done and was going to start walking over to me, and we'd either figure out a game plan or just go get some breakfast. As he's getting out of his stand to make his way across a corn field to where I was, a HUGE(easily a big 10 pt) buck saunders out of the brush and into a small strip of corn. At this point my buddy is already walking the corn edge, making his way around the perimeter of the field. By the time he gets to the area where the buck is, the deer blasts out of the corn, and makes his way along the field edge and back into the woods in out in front of my stand, as soon as hes in the wood line, he's back to a casual walk with his nose down to the ground.

So are the BIG boys more unpredictable than the rest of the deer that you can seem to get patterns on? Just seemed like a freak thing to see a buck of that caliber on a very windy day(up there) and then just like nothing happened go right back to strolling thru the woods.

Needless to say my buddy was upset, had he sat in his stand for maybe 5 more minutes, that buck probably would have walked right by his stand.

Anyone else have experience with BIG bucks that just seem to go against the "normal" patterns and movements that we (think) we know about these animals?

[New York Hillbilly]

That's how they get to be the big boys, by not doing things we think are normal.Thus, they keep from getting put in the freezer.

[5.9cummins]

Plus its the rut - hes getting goofy looking for a girl friend.

If i still had my buck tag i would be sitting all day every chance i could get right now. The big ones are on-the move. Several guys so far on here are starting to report the big boys moving during the 10 till 2 window.

and like hillbilly said. They don't get big by being stupid (at least outside the rut).

Edited November 7, 2011 by 5.9cummins

[BucktheBuck30-06]

My trail cam hasnt picked not 1 deer up in the morning hours but has got over 20 to 30 diffrent deer all at night

[nyantler]

Like Hillbilly says.. thats how they got to be big boys... this is the only time of year that they make mistakes... their experience makes them way harder to catch up to than the youngsters. The older they get.. the harder they are to kill!! They know how to give themselves every advantage and give you every disadvantage

[sodfather]

This could be my inexperience talking but he was probably on that ridge on a windy day smelling around for does. He was hunting with his nose looking for females.

[gjs4]

simple logic here

big buck -age; which is rare in ny, comes from not being dead which comes from not doingt he same dumb $hit the pile of dead 1.5s did

anyone who hunts mature bucks (and potentially does) with any success will tell you theyre totally different in actions for all periods of the hunting seasonwith the potential exception of the seeking/lockdown stages. Some dont even breed, some fight, others do neither.....some walk with the wind.......

[BucktheBuck30-06]

Big bucks aren't as rare as some people think ive seen some monsters on this site alone.My uncle just killed a huge 12 pointer right in central new york.It comes down to how many people shot the 4 pointer before that can become that big 10 point.I'm not knocking anyone for taking the 4 but hey.

[dave6x6]

Like the others have said they got big by being smart. This time of year though you will see them do things that are down right stupid. I can't over state one thing though. If you want to up your big buck sightings by 75%, then don't even think about getting out of your stand for breakfast or lunch. This year has played out very similar to years past. The first 2 hrs of daylight you will see the younger deer all cranked up, franticly runnin the girls all over but from about 9am til after noon is when the big boys will show up and put an end to the childs play. It's almost like they purposely let the does get back to there comfortable bedding grounds and then move in to scent check and find themselves a date.